Cybersecurity
NIST demystifies whitelisting, Pelosi leads trip to China and more
News and notes from around the federal IT community.
Ideas
What Federal Cybersecurity Can Learn from Football
There is one question asked continually across government and the private sector – what is the right “playbook” for cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity
Industry says it's fed up with feds' no hack-back rules
Battered by cyberattacks, the private sector wants to know when the government will take the fight to the adversary -- or at least let companies retaliate on their own.
Cybersecurity
UPDATED: Teens Who Hacked CIA Chief’s AOL Email Now Allege Breaching FBI Systems
The self-dubbed Crackas with Attitude also posted online a purported list of 3,500 names, phone numbers and email addresses of U.S. authorities and military personnel.
Digital Government
US Accuses Iran of Hacking White House Officials’ Accounts
Iran’s opponents to the nuclear deal are reportedly acting out against the United States.
Cybersecurity
Does the White House Plan to Curb High-Profile Hacks Rely Too Much on Tech?
Some critics wonder where IT management fits in the plan.
Digital Government
Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
It undermines a long tradition of designing and building infrastructure in the public interest.
Cybersecurity
CSC, Netcracker fined for using uncleared coders in classified DISA work
Russian programmers worked on classified military communications code, according to a whistleblower complaint.
Cybersecurity
IG's oppose records proposal, Congress concerned about car hacks and more
News and notes from around the federal IT community.
Cybersecurity
Cyber official: IT rulebook revamp overdue, but not agile enough
DHS’ Gregory Touhill says an update to the government's 15-year-old document governing IT is a good thing, but feds still lag when it comes to getting and using the cybersecurity tools they need.
Cybersecurity
Of Botnets and CISA
Sheldon Whitehouse's amendment to tackle botnets in the Senate cyber bill failed. How much good might the legislation have done?
Cybersecurity
Pentagon Contractors Developing Lethal Cyber Weapons
U.S. troops would have the power to launch logic bombs, instead of traditional explosive projectiles, which essentially would direct an enemy's critical infrastructure to self-destruct.
Cybersecurity
Who’s Really In Charge if a Massive Cyberattack Strikes US?
Cyber physical attacks on infrastructure may be an unlikely sneak attack, but if it happens, the chain of command is far from clear.
Cybersecurity
Here’s the Government’s New Definition of a Major Cyberincident
The new definition comes in annual guidance issued to agencies by the Office of Management and Budget as part of the Federal Information Security Management Act.
Cybersecurity
DHS chief says critical vulnerabilities greatly reduced
DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson praised agencies' progress on network security, saying nearly 99 percent of identified problems have been fixed since May.
Cybersecurity
OPM Hires New Cyber Adviser
Clifton Triplett has been appointed OPM's senior cyber and information technology adviser, and will report directly to OPM's Beth Cobert.
Cybersecurity
OPM's new cyber adviser reports directly to the agency boss
The personnel agency tapped military and industry vet Clifton Triplett to advise on cyber and IT.
Cybersecurity
White House backs CISA's privacy provisions
The Obama administration is defending the privacy protections in a Senate-passed information-sharing bill despite the defeat of a string of privacy-focused amendments.
Cybersecurity
VA says employment portal for veterans is secure
VA's online Veterans Employment Center is a showcase for the agency's agile development policies, officials say, but some are worried the site is luring cyber criminals.
Cybersecurity